Snowplow attachment for motor trucks



Oct. 10, 1933. c, H FRWK 1,929,548

SNOWPLOW ATTACHMENT FOR MOTOR TRUCKS Filed Oct. 20, 1930 '3 Sheets-Sheetl //v v:- 11 T0 2 6 ,M WI /V566 Oct. 10, 1933. H FRIN 1,929,548

SNOWPLOW ATTACHMENT FOR MOTOR TRUCKS Filed Oct; 20, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet2 Oct. 0, 1933- c. H. FRINK 1,929,548

SNOWPLOW ATTACHMENT FOR MOTOR TRUCKS Filed Oct. 20, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet3 vsnrox Patented Oct. 10, 1933 sNOwPLOW ATTACHMENT FOR MOTOR TRUCKSCarl H. ,Frink, Clayton, N. Y.

Application October 20, 1990. Serial N0.-489,983

1 Claim.

,This invention relates'to a snow-plow attachment for motor trucks ofthe class set forth in my Patent No. 1,589,748, isued June 22, 1926, inthatit comprises a main frame having re- 5 leasable'means for rigidlysecuring it to the front end of the truck to extend forwardly therefrom,and a supplemental plow-supporting frame adjustably suspended from themain frame for vertical movement relatively thereto.

The main object is to increase the efficiency and durability of anapparatus of this character so that it may be driven at a higher speedover country and city roads than has heretofore been practiced andthereby to maintain the roads in a passable condition, at all times,free from snow and ice, at a greatly reduced cost.

One of the specific objects is to bring the entire attachment intosufficiently'close relation to the front end of the. truck frame toprevent excessive. vibration of its various parts and at the same timeto cause therear ends of the mouldboards of the plow to extend somedistance beyond and at opposite sides of thefront end of the-truck-framefor increased strength 25 durability and efliciency, and for shorterturnins diu Another specific object is converge the moldboards,forwardly at equal angles to the longitudinal center of the truck so asto meet in the speed to assure thejdefieotion of the snow and beyondopposite-sides ofv the roadway.

A furtherobject is toenable the plow-supportcured to the front end of ithe frame ain ing frame with the plow thereon to be conven'i- 49 entlyand expeditiously raised and lowered and also tilted forwardly andrearwardly and transversely as may be required when the apparatus istraveling free 01' when adjusting the plow to the contour of theroad bedto regulate the depth of cut.

Another object is to provide the plow-supporting frame,withfulcrum-shoes adapted toride along and upon the road surface andarranged so as to take approximately the entire weight of and loaduponthe plow. and frame and also to form fulcrum bearings upon the roadbedabout which the frame. and plow may be tilted to regulate the depth ofthe cut.

Other objects and uses relating vto specific 4-4, Figure 2.

vertical plane of the center line with their driven forwardly at asufficiently high rate of parts of'the apparatus will be brought out inV the following description.

Inthe drawings:- Figure 1 is a top plan of a plow attachment embodyingthe various features of my invention 30 as applied to a motor. truck, apart of which is shown by dotted lines. 7

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the same apparatustaken in the plane of line 22, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged verticalsectional view taken in the plane ofline 33, Figure 1, the outer portions of the moldboards being brokenaway. 7 r

Figure 4 is a horizontal detail sectional View, partly broken away,taken in the plane of. line -Figure 5 is an'enlarged detail sectionalview taken in the plane of line 55, Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of plow-point omittingthe draft lug shown in Figures 1 and 2, but indicating in dotted lines,

'the positions of said lug.'

ing secured by rearwardly projecting braces 4-. to the underside of thechassis frame a, as shown in Figure 1, fortransmitting'motion to theframe 1- as the truck is moved forwarly.

The cross bar 3- is bolted or otherwise sea plane above the cross bar 2foradditiohally holding the frame l in fixed relation to the chassisframe ait being understood that the devices for securing the bars -2-and 3'- to the chassis frame a are releasable to allow the frame 1 to beattached to and removed from the truck, when desired. The horizontalcross bars 2 and "3' extend equal distances beyond the longitudinal"center of the chassis and are connected near machine, as shown moreclearly in Figures 2 and 3;

A pair of similar upright frame bars -6 are bolted, riveted or otherwisepermanently secured the chassis frame a-, as shown more clearly inFigure 1, for holding the upright bars or posts 6 against forward andrearward vibration.

The upper ends of the upright posts 6- are connected by a cross bar -8bolted or otherwise rigidly secured thereto and extended laterallyrelatively short distances .beyond thesame to form suitable anchoragesfor the flexible cables which support the rear end of the plowsupportingframe hereinafter described, said I cross bar -8 preferably consistingof an angle iron arranged with its open angle facing forwardly as shownmore clearly in Figures 2 and 3. The upright bars -6- and upper crossbar -8 are connected by diagonal braces 9- bolted or otherwise securedthereto for stifiening the adjacent portions of the main supportingframe.

A relatively short lengthwise bar -lis bolted or otherwise rigidlysecured to the upper cross bar 8-' midway between its ends to extendforwardly therefrom and has its forward end connected by braces 11 tothe upright posts -6 somedistance below the upper ends thereof foradditionally stiffening the upper por- 'tion of the main frameand,.together with the upright posts -6 and. forwardly projecting barl0-, constitute what may be termed a crane for receiving a plow-hoistingmechanism hereinafter described, the bar -l0 being ar I ranged in thevertical plane of the longitudinal center of the chassis.

The arm l0 is connected just back of its front end to the opposite endsof the upper cross bar 8-- by diagonal braces 12 to additionally stiffenthe arm against lateral vibration, see Figure 1.

Plow-supporting frame The plow-supporting frame is separate from themainsupporting frame for vertical movement relatively thereto and comprisesa lower -horizontal cross bar --l3 extending transupwardly equaldistances therefrom in trans-' I versely spaced parallel relation'andare connected at their upper ends by a crossbar which is bolted orotherwise rigidly secured to the posts 14 in vertically spaced parallelrelation to the lower bar '-l-3, said posts 14- being connectedintermediate their ends by an additional cross bar l6-- which is boltedor otherwise secured thereto to stiffen the adjacent portion of theplow-supporting frame.

The upper bar l5 extends laterally equal distances beyond the posts 14and has its outer ends bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to anadditional pair of upright posts -l'7.

The lower ends of the posts l'7 are bolted or otherwise rigidly securedto the lower horizontal bar 13 to extend upwardly equal distancestherefrom in transversely spaced parallel relation some distance abovethe upper bar -15, said posts 17- being arranged at the outer sides ofthe adjacentposts 14 in spaced relation thereto to permit the passage ofsuitable thrust bars, presently described, through the interveningspaces.

Theseupright posts 1'7 are provided at their upper ends with outwardlyprojecting laterally extending arms l8 of equal length, bolted orotherwise rigidly seemed to their respective posts -1'7 to projectoutwardly therefrom at right angles thereto and having their outer endsconnected by braces 19- to the upper cross bar 15- of theplow-supporting frame, said braces 19 being extended downwardly andinwardly across the rear faces of the upright posts l'7- and havingtheir intermediate portions bolted or otherwise rigidly secured theretoto assist in stiffening the adjacent portions of the plow-supportingframe. See Figure 3.

The outer endsof the lower bar -l3- of the plow-supporting frame areprovided with similar upwardly divergent brace bars 20-bolted orotherwise rigidly secured thereto and, together with the upperhorizontal bars 18 constitute rigid supports fora pair of oppositelyarranged forwardly convergent moldboards -2l' ofthe plow forsupportingsaid moldboards equal distances from and at opposite sides of thelongitudinal center ofthe truck chassis.

That is, each moldboard'is providedonits inner rear side with atransversely extending rib or flange 22 tolwhich the outer ends .of

the upper horizontal bars 18 and also the I braces -19 are bolted orotherwise rigidly secured as shown more clearly in Figure 3, said bars-1-8' beingsecured to the reinforcing ribs or flanges --22 near theupper edges'of' the moldboards.

These reinforcing ribs- 22- extend from points near the upper edges ofthe moldboards 2l downwardly to points near the lower edges thereof asshown in Figure 2. and are permanently secured to the inner rear facesof the moldboardsto assistin mantaining the concavo-convex contourthereof, the lower edges of the reinforcing ribs being flattened andbolted, or otherwise secured, to the adjacent portions of themoldboards.

Additional reinforcing, members '-23'- are bolted or otherwisepermanently secured to'the inner rear facesof -the lower edgeof'the'moldboards, as shown"in'Figure"3, and'are-provided withdownwardly, projecting flanges 23" having ancho-rages"24- forreceivingthe-lower ends of 'apair of chains or-cables --25-- which areattached at their-upper ends to suitable anchorages -26- on theouterends of the upper bar 8-- of the main-supporting frame, as shown moreclearly in Figure-3i The upper ends of the.brace bars.s-20'-.- arebolted or otherwisemig'idljrrsecured t'octhe reinforcing members -23-.and corresponding';por-' tions of the moldboards 2l to additionallyallybraced from the-"bars 31' by brace-bars hold the moldboards inequallyspaced relation ,at Opposite .sides ofthe longitudinal center ofthe'chassis.

i 'As "previously intimated; the moldboards 21-.' are concavo-convex incross section and arranged with their concave sides facing for- '2l' aredisposed at an obtuse angle to each other and are provided with cuttingplates '28of hardened steel or equivalent material riveted or otherwisepermanently secured to the the chains in the grab-hook anchors -26 onadjacent portions of the moldboards, the lower edges of said cuttingplates being disposed in a substantially horizontal plane for engagementwith the snow and ice adjacent the roadbed.

The remaining portions of the moldboar ds at the rear of the cuttingplates -f-28-- are curved upwardly, rearwardly and forwardly and havetheir upper longitudinal edges bent inwardly to form reinforcing flanges-29- for stiffening the same, said flanged upper edges of the moldboardsbeing preferably disposed at an acute angle to each other to reduce to aminimum the resistance incidental to the contact of the snow and icetherewith as the rnachine is 'propelledforwardly. 1

Under this construction and arrangement of the moldboards of the plowand resultant reduction of the resistance to its forward movementthrough the snow and ice, it is evident that the machine may be drivenat a relatively high rate of speed under which thesnow and ice would berapidly deflected beyond the sides of the road or some distance beyondthepath of travel of the machine; 7 V

The lower edges of the moldboards' at the rear of the cutting plates-28- are provided with reinforcing bars 23-, preferably angle" irons,

.boltedor otherwise rigidly secured thereto, as

7 shown more clearly in Figures 2 and 3.

In like manner the lower horizontal front edges of the moldboards arereinforced by additional angle bars '-30, welded or otherwise rigidlysecuredto the inner rear faces thereof in planesslightly above the loweredges of the cutter plates 28'- which are alsowelded or otherwisesecured tothe lower front facesof the adjacent portions of the.moldboards and their. reinforcing bars -30.

The lower portion of the plow-supporting frame is also provided with apair of bars --31-- arranged in transversely spaced parallel relationequal distances from, and at opposite sides of, the longitudinal centerof the truck and having their rear ends rigidly secured by any suitablefastening means to the cross bar 13 and their front ends rigidly securedto the reinforcing bars 30-, as shown more clearly in Figures 2 and 4,for supporting the front portion of the plow while the upright posts.1f7- serve to support the rear portions of the moldboards 21.

The moldboards of the plow may be addition- 'corresponding posts r-14+-and -17-,

' pelled forwardly.

-31- shown in part inFigure 1.

- The plow-supporting frame is "connected to the main frame '1- by meansof a pair of thrust bars or links -32-' arranged in trans-'1 to extendforwardly and rearwardly between the said thrust bars being pivoted at-33- to the l'ow'erf..85 ends of the upright posts-5- of the mainsupporting frame '1 and having their front ends pivoted at 34 to thelower bars -31 of the plow-supporting frame, as shown more clearly inFigures 2 and 4, thus permitting the 6590 plow-supporting frame with theplow thereon to 'be' adjusted vertically relatively to the main frame 1.

w That is, the rearportion of the plow-supporting frame andcorresponding portions of the 8:95

plow may, be adjusted vertically through the medium of the chains orcables --25- by simply engaging different links on the upper ends ofopposite ends of the upper bar 8 of the E main-supporting frame 1-. 1

The front 811G101" the plow-supporting frame and corresponding portionsof the plow may be [adjusted vertically by means of a chain or. cable 35having its upper end divided into 105. branches --3 5 which are passedover a pair of sprocket wheels --36 on a rotary shaft 3'7-,

j the latter being journaled in a suitable gear case -38- on the frontendof the upper-lengthwise bar 10 of the plow-supporting frame as 6110shown in Figures 1 andZ, said gear case containing a quantity of oil forlubricating the gearing. V V

The lower end of the hoisting chain or cable ---35v is attached to ananchor plate 39-' which is rigidly secured to the lower front rein-.Figures 1 and 21 Thelower bars -31 of the plow-supporting frame; areprovided with fulcrum shoes -40'Ll25 welded or otherwise rigidly securedto the undersides thereof intermediate their ends and parallel therewithto ride along and upon the surface of the roadbed as the machine is pro-1:130 These fulcrum shoes -40 are located just at therear ofthe pivotalconnections 34 beangles about the fulcrum bearings of the shoes housing38-, one of said gears being actuated by an operating shaft -i1-extending rearwardly from the gear case-38-.- into the cab, as .a-, ofthe truck whereit isprovided with a hand wheel 42- for rotating the-samein reverse directions and thereby effecting a corresponding reversemovement of the sprocket wheels -36 for winding and. unwinding the frontchain 37 thereon and therefrom, .to effect the raising and lowering ofthe front end of the plow-supportingframe.

If desired, the space between the upper edges of the moldboards 21--adjacent the plow point may be covered by a deflecting plate ,43, thepurpose of which is to forwardly deflect snow or, ice which may becarried upwardly to the top of the plow point andthus prevent such snowand ice from passing rearwardly into the top of the truck. v

A relatively thin cutter plateof hardened steel or equivalent. material44- is rigidly secured to the apex of the plow to project .forwardly anddownwardly therefrom for cutting and breaking up any snow, crust or icein the path of the plow as the truck is propelled forwardly. I

The point of the plow is also provided witha bearing plate 45- ofhardened steel or equivalent material rigidly secured thereto to projectdownwardly and forwardly therefrom between the adjacent ends of thecutting plates -28 and, if desired, may be providedwith a .forwardlyprojecting lug 46 having an aperture -47 for attachment to another truckin case it should be necessary .to use additional power for thepropulsion V of l the snow plow through excessive quantities of snow andice.

Operation Assuming that the plow-supporting frame with the plow thereonhas been raised clear of the pavement or ground so that the machine maybe propelled fromone locality to the place of use, this verticalmovement being effected entirely by the proper adjustment of the chains25- and 35 oh the mainsupporting frame.

When it is desired to use the plow for clearpavement and the front cable35 would be under more or less tension.

Now, if it should be desired to bring the cutter bars 28 into closerrelation to the pavement, it would be simply necessary to release thecables 35 by turning the shaft -4l in the-proper direction, and to takeupthe rear chains 25, thereby causing the front portion of theplowsupporting frame to rock downwardly about the fulcrum bearing of theshoes40 upon the pavement, it beingunderstood that this forward anddownward tilting movement would befpermitted by the slackening of thefront chains It will be noted that when the plow-supporting frame islowered sufficiently to allow the shoes -40' to rest upon the pavement,said frame justed to produce the desired depth of cut and it isnecessary to cease further operations of the plow, the entireplow-supporting frame with the plow thereon may be easily and quicklyraised clear from thepavement bysimply winding the upper ends of thechain 35 upon the sprockets -3G by the properrotation of the operatingshaft --41--, it being understood that this raising and lowering of theplow-supporting frame is permitted by the link connections 32 betweenthe plow-supporting frame and main frame 1.

It will be evident from the foregoing description and the drawings thatthe construction is particularly simple, durable and efficient forthework required and that the various moving parts may be easily andquickly set or adjusted to the various positionsbest adapted for thework, but obviously various changes may be made in certain details ofthe construction without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is.:

In a snow-plow attachment fo'r motor trucks, a main frame and means forrigidly securing it to the frontend of the truck, in combination withthrust barshinged to the frame and projecting forwardly therefrom forvertical swinging movement,.a second frame hinged intermediate its frontand rear ends to the front ends of the thrust .bars .for verticalrocking movement and provided at the rear of its hinge withroad-engaging fulcra, aplow carried by the sec-.

ond frame, and means mounted on the main frame and connected to thesecond frame in front of its :fulcra for tilting the second framevertically about the fulcra bearing on the road and thereby varying thedepth of cut of the plow.

CARL H. FRINK.

